Cessna 185F accident near Ithaca, New York, November 15, 1986
On November 15, 1986, a Cessna 185F, registered N9680H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ithaca, New York (Tompkins CO. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 1986
- Place
- Ithaca, New York · Tompkins CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185F · all 185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9680H · no longer on the register · serial 18503460
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE LANDING CESSNA 185 SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING A DEER THAT WAS CROSSING THE RUNWAY AT NIGHT. THE LEFT WING TIP AND ELEVATOR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY AS THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, HOWEVER, IT WAS ABLE TO TAXI OFF THE RUNWAY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 950 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,054 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 8, 1985; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGS College Park MD at 9:45 pm
- Destination: ITH Ithaca NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,801 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.